What kind of player could the Miami Marlins have selected 39th overall?

June 3, 2014|By Juan C. Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel

MIAMI - — To acquire reliever Bryan Morris from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marlins gave up their Competitive Balance Round A selection (39th overall) in this week’s First-Year Player Draft. What kind of player might they have landed in that spot? As with just about every other position in the draft, it's a complete crap shoot.

Of the 49 players taken 39th overall since 1965, 20 reached the major leagues but few had impactful careers.

The exceptions were Barry Bonds, who the Pirates selected in that spot in 1982, and Don Baylor, the Orioles’ second-round pick in 1967. The only other player picked 39th with a double-digit career WAR (Wins Above Replacement) per Baseball Reference was catcher Todd Hundley (Mets, 1987).